Page 5 of Love Legacy

Maeve and Alex just stared, looking at me as if I had five heads.

“Over a skort?”

“Studying in a dorm?”

“What’s a restorative conference?”

“What does non-return mean?”

“What outdated ass school did you go to?”

They both fire off a bunch of questions, and I wait for them to finish before I respond. “I went to High Valley University.”

“Oh! Well, that explains everything,” Maeve says as she starts to clean up the leftovers from dinner.

“Wait, isn’t that one of those super-religious schools?” Alex asks, taking a seat next to me and refilling my wine glass.

“Yep, nicknamed ‘the BYU of the South’,” I respond, drinking more wine.

“So why the hesitation on whether or not you’re religious?” Maeve asks, leaning on the counter in front of me.

I look down at my wine glass, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “It’s not that simple. My daddy’s the lead pastor for our congregation. I grew up in the church. I’m religious, but I’m starting to realize that some of the things that I was taught aren’t quite right.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, take my violation for wearing a skort. Why does my choice to wear knee-length shorts over a floor-length skirt affect my education or my relationship with God? Why is it that women are treated as less than men and it’s okay? I know y’alldidn’t sign up for my identity crisis, but there’s just some things I need to work through on my own with religion. And until I do, I don’t know where I stand.”

Alex pats my arm reassuringly. “Well, you don’t have to figure it out just yet. And we can help! You know, show you what it’s like outside the religious bubble.”

I smile, finding comfort in the two women. “Thank you. I appreciate that!”

“Speaking of the quintessential, secular college experience, Rush starts this coming week!” Maeve says, going to sit down on the couch.

I turn around on my stool. “What’s Rush?”

“Oh, my young padawan, you have much to learn,” Alex says, taking our glasses and washing them in the kitchen sink.

“Padawan? What’s that?”

“You’ve never seenStar Wars? Alex, add that to Naomi’s experience list,” Maeve says with a laugh.

Alex takes a notepad from one of the kitchen drawers and actually starts making a list. “So Rush is the one week a semester when all the sororities get together and try to recruit students to join their organization. Pinebrook does things a little differently because instead of forcing you to go to multiple houses, each sorority does their own individual rush. It’s less overwhelming this way and takes up less of your time.”

“Okay, I’ve heard of sororities, but I’m not sure what they do. I’ve heard some horror stories about hazing, do the sororities here do anything extreme?”

Maeve shakes her head, giving a small shrug. “Nothing extreme, but I have heard a rumor that one of the sororities will essentially kidnap you in the middle of the night to take you to your member initiation.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “That’s slightly terrifying.”

“Yeah, but it keeps you on your toes!” Alex says with a laugh, scribbling on the notepad. “Okay, so for your experience list, I have: learn how to use chopsticks, rush a sorority, and watchStar Wars. Anything else I should add?”

I bite my lip. “I want to make out with someone!” I say in a rush.

She raises a brow. “I thought you said you had a boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend, I guess. It was an arranged relationship with the expectation that we’d get married when we graduated, but I haven’t talked to Josiah since I left High Valley. He blamed our sanction for being together in his dorm on me.”

“And you guys never kissed?” Maeve asks, completely surprised.

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